


the darkest hour is just before dawn

by sonlali



Series: Fics from Season Six [8]
Category: Schitt's Creek
Genre: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Episode: s06e08 The Presidential Suite, Gen, Sibling Love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-04
Updated: 2020-03-04
Packaged: 2021-03-01 00:20:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,335
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23007232
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sonlali/pseuds/sonlali
Summary: david and alexis talk following the events of s06e08. david comforts alexis, and alexis gives david some advice.
Relationships: Alexis Rose & David Rose, Patrick Brewer/David Rose
Series: Fics from Season Six [8]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1621702
Comments: 34
Kudos: 166





	the darkest hour is just before dawn

**Author's Note:**

> spoilers for s06e08: The Presidential Suite
> 
> title from "Dedicated to the One I Love" by The Mamas & the Papas

The drive to the motel is uncomfortably quiet. David isn’t certain if Patrick is angry or hurt — maybe both — but he’s obviously still upset about the spray tan. They had eaten dinner with Stevie at the café, and Patrick had remained silent with a stony expression on his still slightly-orange face throughout most of the meal. 

The nine showers had really done a number on his skin, so after dinner, David had offered to treat Patrick with a massage using his best and most moisturizing body lotion. Patrick’s face had softened slightly, and he agreed to drive them back to the motel so David could pick up the lotion before heading back to Patrick’s apartment. 

They pull into the motel’s parking lot and Patrick shuts off the engine. David had expected Patrick to wait in the car while he dashed inside, but Patrick surprises him by following David to the door. 

“I’ll just grab the lotion and then we can go — in and out, I promise! And then it’s time for your massage. Maybe you’ll even get a happy ending.” David waggles his eyebrows and gives a hopeful shimmy. Patrick cracks a grin and David feels some of the tension melt away. He’s determined to make it up to Patrick for the less-than-ideal turn of events that took place today. 

David opens the door and freezes in his tracks at what he sees. Alexis is curled up in her bed, face red and blotchy with mascara smears under her eyes. 

“Alexis, are you okay? What’s wrong?” Patrick asks from behind David, his voice pitched up in concern.

David doesn’t say anything because somehow he knows instantly — he _knows_ — exactly what Alexis is going to say before she even opens her mouth. His heart sinks and he’s at her bed before he even realizes he’s moving, Patrick trailing along behind him. 

“Ted and I broke up.” Alexis’ voice is small and broken and a tear slips down her cheek. David hears a small intake of breath from Patrick. David still doesn’t say anything. “They offered to extend his research in the Galapagos. It’s a really good opportunity for him.”

There’s a long, awkward pause where no one speaks. David fiddles with his engagement rings and can hear Patrick shifting from leg to leg behind him. David can perfectly imagine the pained, sympathetic expression on his fiancé’s orange-tinted face. Finally, Alexis flips her hair from her face and tilts her chin in the air, giving them both a defiant look that David can see right through.

“You can leave now, David. Go be happy and in love somewhere else.”

She flaps a hand at them both and kicks at David impatiently. David turns to look at Patrick, their eyes meeting in a wordless conversation. David looks back at Alexis.

“I’m not leaving, Alexis,” he says softly. 

Patrick moves closer to press a quick kiss to David’s cheek. “I’ll see you tomorrow at the store, David. Alexis, I, um… I’m sorry.” David flashes him a grateful smile, and Patrick gives a small wave before leaving. David can hear the click of Patrick’s car door shutting, the shrill whine of the engine starting, and then the faint sound of tires on gravel as he drives away. David waits until he can no longer hear Patrick’s car before finally speaking.

“Alexis,” David says quietly, and her face crumples. David wraps Alexis in his arms and allows her to cry without interruption, even though she’s almost certainly destroying his sweater with a disgusting combination of tears, snot, and mascara.

David isn’t sure how much time passes, just that his shoulder is uncomfortably damp and his arms are slightly sore from the awkward angle at which he has been holding Alexis for so long. He also knows that there’s no way he’s letting go until Alexis is ready. David rubs his palm soothingly along Alexis’ back and closes his eyes to hold back his own tears.

After several more minutes, Alexis takes a deep breath and pulls away, sniffling noisily. David reaches for the box of tissues sat between their beds and offers them to her with what he hopes is a sympathetic expression, while in actuality trying not to visibly shudder at the sheer volume of snot streaming from her nose because _ewww_!

Alexis blows her nose and swipes at the tears on her cheeks, while David gets up to grab a makeup wipe from the bathroom. She definitely needs a full facial after all that, but David supposes he’ll have to settle for now with just washing off the smears of makeup from her face. He gently dabs at the mascara-stained tear tracks, and Alexis looks up at him with big, watery blue eyes. 

Suddenly, they’re children again — David comforting his baby sister after she spilled soda all over her white Valentino dress. Their mother had the dress custom made to fit Alexis’ petite pre-teen frame from a design originally intended for adults. Adelina ended up washing the stain out while David distracted Alexis by watching _Dirty Dancing_. Their mom never did find out. David suspects she would not have even cared.

Alexis sniffles again and David is shaken from his memories. He tosses the used makeup wipe in the trash can and forces Alexis to throw out her snotty tissues that she’d left balled up on the bed around her — _again, ew, Alexis_! 

“Do you want to watch a movie?” David asks, but Alexis shakes her head.

“I’m just… really tired, David.” She doesn’t sound like herself. Her voice is flat and quiet. 

“Yeah, of course. Let’s just lie down.”

“David, can we… can I sleep in your bed tonight?” Alexis twists a curl around her finger and bites at her lower lip. David is flooded with memories of childhood, of adolescence, even a few times in their twenties — Alexis crawling into David’s bed after a nightmare, after a fight with Mom, after she got her first period, after a bad breakup. It’s not something she did often, especially as they got older, but David has always found space in his bed when Alexis needed comforting. He’s always dropped everything at a moment’s notice for Alexis. He likes to think that in the past few years their relationship has gotten healthier, more balanced, but he also knows that he will always do anything to help his little sister.

They both crawl into David’s tiny twin bed, crowded but somehow comfortable. They stare up at the ugly, stained motel ceiling in silence for a long time before Alexis finally speaks. Her voice is soft but steady. 

“I can’t move to the Galapagos, David.”

“I know,” David agrees.

“And Ted can’t give up this amazing opportunity,” she continues.

“Mmhmm.”

“And continuing to be long distance for years would have killed us both.”

David hums in agreement.

“There wasn’t another option. And I’m happy for him, David! I really am.” Alexis’ voice begins to waver. “I’m happy, but I’m also so damn sad.”

“I know.” David nods, knowing she doesn’t need his words right now. She just needs him to be here and to listen. 

“I miss him so much already. I… I r-really thought this was it, you know? Like he was _the one_. I even, _fuck_ , it’s so stupid.” Alexis’ face flashes through a complex series of expressions, her nose twitching and eyes blinking rapidly. She tugs at a lock of hair and swallows heavily before speaking at a halting, disjointed pace. “I even thought about maybe… someday… maybe, um, you know? Proposing to him.”

“What?!” David blurts loudly before he can control himself. Alexis averts her gaze and combs her fingers through her hair more harshly. 

“I just figured he wasn’t going to, since I already turned him down twice, remember? And plus, it would be a really fierce, independent girl boss sort of thing to do, which is a really good look for me. Also… I could really see us being ma-mar…” Alexis trails off with a choked sob. 

“Alexis…” David doesn’t know what to say. He feels out of his realm — his heart breaking for his sister and his brain struggling to keep up with this completely different version of Alexis. He’s seen the way she’s grown and changed since they moved to Schitt’s Creek. They’ve both changed. A lot. But somehow his brain hasn’t quite caught up with just how different Alexis is now. She cares so much more deeply and loves so much harder than she used to. Her relationship with Ted wasn’t made of the same superficial surface-level feelings she shared with so many actors, models, and princes. David has always marveled at how strong his sister is, but right now he’s realizing that he has seriously underestimated Alexis. She voluntarily walked away from the man she saw herself marrying. David thinks of Patrick, and he isn’t sure if he would be able to do the same.

“I mean, I wasn’t going to do it right away. I would have waited for your wedding, David. I wouldn’t steal your thunder like that. Okay, well, maybe I would a little because can you imagine me getting engaged at your wedding?” Alexis flutters her eyelashes and scrunches her nose at David, and okay, maybe she hasn’t _completely_ changed. 

Before David can do more than take a deep breath to prepare his outraged reply, Alexis swiftly cuts him off. 

“Relax, David. I obviously wouldn’t do that. And, I guess… it doesn’t really matter now anyway because it’s not going to happen.” Alexis tosses her hair over her shoulder. David can hear how she’s trying to sound flippant, but she falls short by about a mile.

“Alexis, I’m sorry—” 

“No, nope. No, no, no.” Alexis shakes her head vehemently. “No, don’t do that, David. You know I don’t like that.”

And David does know that. Alexis Rose will not allow herself to be pitied. She dabs at her eyes with a tissue and inhales sharply. David knows that the conversation is done for now. They both turn back to the ceiling, the only sound in the room their deep, even breathing. David can tell Alexis is matching her breaths to his, so he focuses on creating a calm, steady rhythm. When she speaks again, it startles him. 

“Why does Patrick look like Mom’s yellow wig after it fell off in the spiked punch bowl at that trashy Fourth of July party at Will and Jada’s house?”

David thinks back to the party she’s referring to and snorts out a laugh. She’s not wrong. 

“Um, there may have been a spray tanning incident.” 

“Why would Patrick get a spray tan?” Alexis sounds incredulous. David can feel her scrutinizing stare on his profile, but he refuses to turn to face her. 

“Hm, well, Ray was taking some engagement photos…” David deliberately allows his sentence to trail off.

“And, David?” Alexis prompts him.

“And I may have _suggested_ that he get a spray tan.”

“He can’t be in your engagement photos looking like that, David!”

“Do you think I don’t know that, Alexis?!” David throws his hands up in the air. 

“Patrick didn’t want to get the spray tan, though, did he?”

David hesitates. “No…”

“Mhm, so, that’s why things were a bit frosty between you two when you came in here.” 

“What?! No! Nothing was _frosty_ , Alexis, god!” David flips over to face Alexis and she bulges her eyes out at him.

“Um, yeah, David, it was! He’s obviously still mad that you forced him to turn his pretty porcelain skin into a cheap fruity cocktail!”

“I didn’t force… I mean, I… ugh, Alexis! Just shut up!” 

“Why did you do it, David?” Alexis asks.

“I don’t… I don’t really know exactly.” David chews at his lower lip harshly. “I just want everything to be perfect, and I-I don’t know. I guess I got a little out of control.”

“You think? Ugh, David. This bridezilla thing isn’t a good look for you. You can’t control everything about everyone, you know? You need to talk to Patrick.”

“I know.” David nods, his eyes firmly trained on his cuticles. 

“Now, David! Go over to your cute little button’s apartment and tell him you fucked up!” Alexis swats at David with a limp-wristed hand. 

“Alexis, I’m not leaving.” 

“I’m fine, David.” The crack in her voice gives her away. She flaps her hand in the air impatiently. “Okay, or I _will_ be fine, whatever.”

“I’m not leaving.” David speaks slowly and firmly, making sure to leave no room for debate. “You know it’s okay to _not_ be fine, right? You don’t always have to be fine, Alexis. Sometimes you can be not okay, and that’s okay.”

“Okay.” Alexis blinks several times and twists her necklace around nervously. “Okay, yeah.”

“I’ll talk to Patrick tomorrow, but tonight, let’s just try to get some rest, mkay?” David shuts off the light and pulls the blanket up to their chins. 

“David, it hurts,” Alexis whispers in the darkness. 

“I know, it’s going to hurt for a while.”

“What do I do?”

“You hurt. And then you keep on living. It’s all you can do.”

Alexis doesn’t answer. She’s quiet for so long that David assumes she’s fallen asleep and begins practicing in his head what he’ll say to Patrick tomorrow. 

“You’re a good brother, David.” Alexis’ eyes are wide and shining when David turns to look at her. 

“About time you noticed.” David’s mouth twists to the side in a grin. 

“Ugh, David!” Alexis smacks him in the chest just as he’d known she would. David takes her hand and squeezes it.

“You’re a good sister, Alexis. I’m really proud of you.”

Alexis shuts her eyes and takes a deep breath, the corners of her mouth turning up in a small smile. It’s a weak, fragile thing right now, but when she opens her eyes again, David can see that familiar Alexis Rose strength and determination burning in her gaze. 

“I’m really proud of me, too.”

**Author's Note:**

> come say hi on tumblr [@landofsonlali](https://landofsonlali.tumblr.com/)!


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